BANNED IN CHINA!: The Life of Ramen

[Wiley50]

Ramen is an important common ground I've found with my son.
He is a college student, I am disabled and living on $623/mo SSI

At 10 cents ( case lots at discount stores) to 25 cents (chain grocers) a package
Ramen is much more than just a cup of noodles. It's a way of Life.

From fancy recipes to Ramen Al Dente ( I'm out of propane for the stove and used hot tap water)

The Official Ramen Home Page Has It All!

http://mattfischer.com/ramen/?cat=2

http://mattfischer.com/ramen/

Karina from Virginia sent me some pictures of her art project. The project was called “Wearable Art”, and Karina made a dress out of ramen packets. It took 196 packets of ramen, and some chop-sticks to construct! No word on what grade Karina received, but it looks like “A” work to me.

I figure that a 10 cents per packet, and some free chopsticks with take-out chinese, you could make this dress for about $20. That’s not counting the “worth” you get from eating all the ramen.



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Friss-Sharp Ramen
March 25th, 2007

My very first Dutch recipe!

Submitted By: Jörgen & Thomas
Submitted From: Enschede, The Netherlands

* Ingredients 4 Blocks Ramen
* 1 can of soup vegetables (*)
* 1/2 Can Pineapple
* 1 Onion
* 1 clove Garlic
* Some oil
* Japanese Seasoning/herbs
* Soy Sauce
* Sambal

Preparation: First let some water boil for the ramen. When it’s boiling put the ramen in. Next put the oil together with the soup vegetables, onion and the garlic in another pan. After some time put the Japanese seasoning in with the oil/veggie mix. Put the pineapple in it after you mixed the seasoning. When the ramen is cooked, drain the water. Then throw the mix and the ramen in one pan and mix it. At last you put some soy sauce and sambal with it. Mix it and ready to eat. Hope you like it, we certainly did. =)

(*) - I’m going to get clarification of what that means, maybe a can of mixed vegetables?

Poll: When Did You First Eat Instant Ramen?
February 21st, 2007

I figure I had ramen when I was around 7 or 8. When I was a bit older it was one of the few things I could cook for myself, so I ate it alot. I also ate it when camping with the Boy Scouts, since my patrol leader’s food was always terrible. I left ramen for sometime in high school, but I was back on the noodle in college.

When did you first eat instant ramen?

* In college
* As a teenager
* As a kid
* In jail
* As an adult
* In the retirement home

View Results

[MADem]

1. What's not to love about RAMEN? NT

[Atman]

18. What's not to love?

The sodium alone is enough to kill you. Read the ingredients panel. Sodium and fat...that's all that's in Ramen noodles.

That said...mmmmmmm. I prefer the Trader Joe's noodle bowls, but I'm "rich" enough now to be able to afford the 99 cents!

.

[MADem]

23. Well, you don't HAVE to use that ghastly packet that "comes with" do you?

Or you don't have to use ALL of it. Just because it comes in the pack doesn't force one to add the entire thing, or any of it.

The noodles are cheap...add better broth and some fresh veggies, and there ya go!

[Kolesar]

24. Were not the associations of sodium to high blood pressure dismissed a few years ago?

I remember my mother fastidiously preparing meals for my father with the lowest-sodium cheese we could find and scant sodium in other ingredients. My fater spent his declining years eating food he didn't like.

I don't even worry about it anymore.

[formercia]

27. I find if you cook the Ramen with a minimum of water

you can use a fraction of the packet to season. I save the rest of the packet and use it on cooked sphagetti or noodles.

[Kolesar]

30. I did "halfers" for years and saved the extra packets.

I used to eat Ramen noodles for breakfast and would accumulate extra packets. I put them in white rice when I cooked it.

One thing that disappoints me is that the "oriental" flavor packets actually have beef "products" in them. I gave up beef many years ago and birds three years ago. That leaves none that I could eat. Now, I break up the noodles and put them on a salad and give the packets away.

[formercia]

33. at least it's not Soylent Green

but getting closer by the day.

I have a big garden and it helps. That reminds me, there's some leftover winter squash from last night. It's really good added to soup.

Peace.

[Bake]

35. I use less water and the whole packet!

It gives it more flavor. Hell, I've even been known to toss a bouillion cube in there too.

Bake

[Gidney N Cloyd]

34. My doctor still recommends restricting sodium for high BP.

[formercia]

39. High BP is the main reason I cut back the amount.

Some people don't react well to MSG but it doesn't seem to bother me.

I like chopping up a Habanero and adding it instead of extra seasoning.

[IronLionZion]

26. throw away the flavor packet

that's terrible stuff, mostly salt and MSG.

All you need are the noodles, then add some frozen vegetables or hard boiled egg or some cooked meat to have a more substantial meal.

[WindRavenX]

2. why is it banned in China?

?

[Wiley50]

7. Quote from Ramen Website

Who Knew?!
March 5th, 2007

According to The Great Firewall of China testing site, this website is blocked in China. I find this quite odd, because this site is fairly harmless. Why do Chinese internet censors hate noodle freedom so much? ;)

[Kelly Rupert]

20. The Great Firewall of China site is a joke.

They've claimed Xinhua is blocked.

[formercia]

28. an explanation

A number of years ago, I was talking with a PRC Consul and she was joking about TDY'rs from the mainland coming to the US and hot-bunking, several to a hotel room and living on Ramen so they could save their per diem and pocket the cash or bring presents home to the family and friends. I guess they don't want to give them any ideas.

[Cirque du So-What]

3. I first encountered ramen in San Diego ca. 1975

As a young sailor going to school and living off base - often nursing a hangover after a night of too much of newly-discovered imbibables like Carlo Rossi Red Rosé or King Smedley's Beer - ramen formed the cornerstone of many a cheap, semi-nutritious breakfast.

During those heady days, my roommate once prepared Spam ramen; I told him I'd sooner eat a June bug than touch that concoction!

[Canuckistanian]

5. MMmmm, Spam and Ramen...

You know you've hit bottom when you start considering Spam and Ramen as sustenance.

[glitch]

17. Bottom is when you eat mix green jello with shredded wheat left over from the previous tenants

The other variation: red jello with peanuts. Good times...(oh to be 18 again :))

[Princess Turandot]

4. The Death of Mr. Noodle..NYT Appreciation

No, not the soup, but rather the 96 y.o. fellow who invented the product in 1958:

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/09/opinion/09tue3.html?ex=1325998800&en=5e351e668da0b093&ei=5090

(Don't most varieties of ramen come with an extremely high level of sodium per serving?)

[Wiley50]

8. only if you use the whole seasoning packet

they are even yummie pan roasted dry and lightly salted
and much cheaper than doritos

[hyphenate]

14. When I make it, I put the seasoning

in the water and let the water boil. Then I put the noodles in for the 3 minutes, and dump almost all the water completely, leaving me some nice tasting noodles without a ton of salt in them. They still retain the flavor of the packet, which is all I ask for. On occasion, I have put peas in the ramen, which tastes good too. It's a bit bland for some people, but I save the spice for Thai food on occasion instead.

[sakabatou]

6. The FSM would be proud

[Rick Myers]

9. I'm 50 and I still buy ramen for late nite snacks!!!

BEST FOOD EVER !!!

[Vinnie From Indy]

10. Ramen is great to take when high altitude mountain climbing

It is very light to carry and fills you up. I always take it with me.

[Kolesar]

25. It's precooked so it does not take much stove fuel

I would throw in dehydrated vegetables. Getting near lunch in this time zone.

[formercia]

41. The secret of Ramen

They add a small amount of Sodium Carbonate to the flour. It causes the noodles to soften quickly and give the appearance of being pre cooked, much like lime water is used to soften corn.

Ramen.

[Kolesar]

50. Well, they are fried, aren't they?

Just a little bit fried?
Do you know how that is?

[formercia]

52. I guess that's cooking

point well made.

[Vinnie From Indy]

46. Exactly!

Add a few dehydrated veggies and you have a decent hot meal.

[chaska]

44. I've hiked the Appalachian Trail 1.5 times and....

I got to where the only thing that really worked for me for breakfast was ramens. Get's you warm and hydrated. Both conditions are often in short supply on the trail.

[aikoaiko]

11. When I was a kid, I thought Ramen noodles were exotic.

You couldn't really find them in the suburb supermarkets but I would ask my father to pick some up in Chinatown in the city.

It wasn't until college that I learned that it was eating on the cheap. Ironically, I never ate ramen while in college.

Life is funny.

[youthere]

45. My grandmother used to mail them to us from California...

A giant box of them. We used to go bat-shit crazy over them when we were kids. By the time I was a teen they were available in most supermarkets. By the time I finished my first year in college, my love affair with ramen noodles was definitely over. I didn't eat them for years. Now I'll buy them occasionally.

[Kolesar]

51. Now, that's really funny.

Like getting spices from the Indies. Only this was various salts & flavors in a foil.

[alfredo]

12. To clean you take it to a Chinese Laundry?

[Sabriel]

13. Perhaps it's forbidden because of its importance in the Church of the FSM

Ramen!

[Henryman]

15. Raman Noodle Health Concerns

From wikipedia:

Health concerns

A typical packet of instant ramenRamen and similar products are often criticized as being unhealthy or junk food. A single serving of instant noodles is high in carbohydrates but low in fiber, vitamins and minerals. Noodles are typically fried as part of the manufacturing process, resulting in high levels of saturated fat and/or trans fat. Additionally, if served in an instant broth, it typically contains the controversial ingredient monosodium glutamate (MSG) as well as a high amount of sodium, usually in excess of 60% of the U.S. Recommended Dietary Allowance.

While many processed convenience foods leave much to be desired nutritionally, the particular concern over ramen is a response to its use as a dietary staple for many Americans. College students in particular consume large amounts of instant noodles; the wide availability, very low cost (often below 25¢), ease and speed of preparation, and portability of the product make it appealing to young adults with little money and time to spare. A popular college urban legend states that a student gave himself scurvy by living on nothing but ramen for an entire year. <2>

The most recent controversy surrounds dioxin and other hormone-like substances that could theoretically be extracted from the packaging and glues used to pack the instant noodles. As hot water is added, it was reasoned that harmful substances could seep into the soup. After a series of studies were conducted, various organizations requested changes in the packaging. <2>

[bbgrunt]

16. What kind of wheat gluten is found in ramen?

[michreject]

19. In jail???????

I've never had anything but green bologna and fuzzy cheese. I've never had Ramen though. In or out of jail.

[JHB]

21. You want Ramen? Go rent "Tampopo" by Juzo Itami...

...you can usually find it in the foreign films section.

Ramen as comfort food!, not that dried instant stuff this article is talking about.

MMMMMMM ramen! Now I have to go visit Sapporo (a restaurant off Times Square, best, most authentic ramen in NYC) sometime this week for a big bowl of shoyu ramen (extra noodles) :loveya:

[Richard Steele]

36. Probably the best movie about noodles ever made. nm

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

22. We love Ramen here!Thanks for the links! I make egg drop ramen and with the shrimp ramen,

I sometimes throw in frozen shrimp...yummy

[Firepit 462]

29. I lived on Ramen Noodles in college,

Bisquick pancakes, and Ramen Noodles for days, sometimes weeks on end. I can't see a Denny's ad for pancakes, or hear the word "Ramen" without suffering a body twitching attack, eyes roll back in head and uncontrollable dry heaving.

Your recipes would have been a god send few years back, now I feel dizzy and the urge for as much Bourbon as I can chug.

[renate]

31. most cheap ramen noodles are super high in trans fat

I love the taste (total saltaholic here) but the trans fats are SO bad for you, and especially for your cardiovascular system.

Eating them every day could have serious consequences, unfortunately. Just another example of why people on a tight food budget find it hard to eat healthily. Buying udon noodles or rice noodles or something similar in bulk, and adding an Asian sauce from a bottle (pretty cheap at Asian grocery stores) would be better (still high in sodium, but not high in trans fat) and probably not much more expensive.

[formercia]

42. Nuk Mam

fish sauce. Does wonders. Just don't ask how it's made.

[JHB]

32. Real ramen doesn't come in a styrofoam cup...

That shriveled instant stuff may call itself ramen, but it's like dog chow next to the real deal: silky noodles cooked to perfection, just a few slices of tender meat that practically melt in your mouth, the little fish cake and (in some) hard-boiled egg....


May not be haute cuisine, but it doesn't deserve the bad press those cup-a-sodium-strings give it.

Ramen evangelist
http://www.worldramen.net/

[BuyingThyme]

37. I'd take Ramen and Saltines over steak and potatoes.

Every time.

Great pics.

[ceile]

38. Creamy Chicken flavor rules!

I used to hate Ramen (and really, the creamy chk is the only flav I can stand)-never ate it as a kid or in college. But when I hit about 24 or 25 and was broke, I'd figure I'd give it a try. Now it's my "I'm being bad" food. Especially if I add sour cream and hot sauce-so bad, but so yummy!!

on edit:
Her dress is great. Very creative!

[jmowreader]

40. This is how to cook Ramen!

Take the little packet of shit out of the ramen bag and drop it in the nearest garbage can.

In its place, open a can of broth--beef or chicken if you're a meat eater, vegetable if you're not, low sodium is fine--heat it to boiling and insert the ramen biscuit.

Reduce temperature to low and simmer the ramen for twenty minutes or so. Time isn't critical; getting the broth to soak into the noodles is.

When you get the noodles out of the broth into a bowl, pour just enough of it over the noodles to cover them and add some "extras"--dropping an egg on top of the ramen is a nice treat, as is some cheese, perhaps scallions if you like them, a little shredded wafer-thin lunch meat...the possibilities are endless once you learn the most important rule of Ramen, which is to get rid of the fucking Ramen seasonings that come with the shit.

[chaska]

43. No, this is how it's done...

Curried Tuna Ramen

Bring 1 3/4 - 2 cups of water and
1 large clove of garlic to a boil
Add 2 packs of ramen noodles and
some frozen peas and carrots followed by
hot sauce
dash of salt
dash of pepper
1 can of tuna
~1 teaspoon of curry powder
~1 teaspoon of cumin

When noodles are almost done and with everything at a furious boil
Add three tuna cans of milk and
the seasoning packet (I prefer pork for this, shrimp flavor will do, chicken if you must)

I add some chopped cilantro at the end, if I have it. A sqeeze of fresh lime juice is a killer addition.

Heat till eating temperature and shut 'er down, it's chow time.

Seriously, this is some great eatin'.

[jmowreader]

53. Looks like Tuna and Noodles under an assumed name

Sounds okay if you like peas as an ingredient in a dish, which I do not. I'd leave them out.

[eppur_se_muova]

47. Ramen for desert -- pan fried.

Boil noodles about 2/3 of the recommended time. Drain. Stir-fry in a wok with a little peanut oil, pressing the noodles into a cake and occasionally flipping until the outside is crisp and lightly browned, but the inside is just al dente. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, optionally cinammon.

(This is supposedly Mongolian in origin, but usually made with wider "Chinese style" noodles. Google "fried noodle cake recipe" for others!)

[flying rabbit]

48. MMM... Ramen

I used to make ramen in a coffeepot when I was living in a dorm room on my first tour through college. Heat 'n' eat

[Beausoir]

49. The fat content is astronomical. My little girl loves Ramen, but it is so bad, healthwise.

I confess to loving it, too. But everytime I eat it, my blood pressure goes through the roof.

[ecstatic]

54. Maybe China knows something (hint: rat poison) that we don't?

:shrug: